Michigan 'Pro-Abort' Trial Begins

The trial of Harlan Drake, the man who confessed to the murder of two men in Michigan, one of them a proposed anti-abortion martyr/saint, has begun.

The deatils in the testimony so far are pretty sad. Drake apparently considered suicide by cop but decided against it. Police have testified that Drake was totally cooperative during the arrest and questioning.

Remember that these events happened fairly soon after the assassination of Dr George Tiller and the fetus fetishists were thrilled to declare this a totally equivalent instance of 'pro-abort' violence.

So, was Harlan Drake a pro-abort? (What is it with rightwingnutz and multisyllabic words?)

Drake told police he's "not against anti-abortion" but didn't like that Pouillon showed graphic signs to children in front of Owosso High School. The evening of Sept. 10, 2009, Drake said he intended to kill Pouillon if he saw him at the school the next day.

"I figured if he was there, I'd make sure he wasn't there (again)," he said in the taped recording.

It was after the shooting of Pouillon that Drake decided to kill Fuoss, who formerly employed Drake, his mother and brother, he told police. He said since he was "in for one" by killing Pouillon, he might as well be in for three.

Drake's lawyers are planning a temporary insanity defence.

Yeah.

Wanted: Twelve Not-Angry Men/Women

Man, it's hard to find a good anti-abortion saint/martyr these days.

There is so much ill will in the town of Owosso towards murder victim James Pouillon that 'jury selection could be difficult'.

This is the case that the fetus fetishists jumped all over last September as being exactly the same as the assassination of Dr George Tiller. And proving that pro-choice people are as hate-driven and violence-prone as their own anti-abortion terrorists.

When, if they'd waited a few days, more of the sad story of accused Harlan Drake would have revealed him to be a troubled, haunted man on medication for depression.

His lawyers plan an insanity defense.

Well, we're not surprised. Remember what Pouillon's own son said about him?

"It will be impossible for some to believe, but my dad really didn't care about aborton.

He did this to stalk, harass, terrorize, scream at, threaten, frighten, and verbally abuse women. He had a pathologic hatred of women: his mom, my mom, everyone.

After my mom finally left him and he lost his favorite punching bag the violence and abuse that was always contained within our 4 walls was unleased on the people of Owosso.

My dad used the pro-life movement and 1st Amendments foundations to defend him, support him, and enable him. He fooled them all.

He was at the high school because my niece was there, and female family members were always his favorite targets.

Again, my dad didn't care about abortion. He wanted to hurt people, upset people. He enjoyed making people suffer.


His goal was to be shot on a sidewalk. His goal was to make someone so angry, to make them feel so terrorized, to make them feel the only way they could make him stop was to kill him.

His pro-life stance was the most perfect crime I personally know of. He hid behind the 1st Amendment and was allowed to stalk, terrorise, harass, be obsene, ect. These things are crimes. Offending people isn't a crime, and having different political views isn't a crime, but he committed several crimes over the last 20 years and got away with it.

Yes I really am his oldest son. Owosso is now rid of a mad man."

Anyone still need convincing that anti-choice is -- often violently -- anti-woman?

Hey, SUZY! Still pumping for his canonization?

Michigan Murders: Martyrdom on Hold

Unlike this guy, who by all accounts had a long history of abortion clinic harassment and vandalism and knew precisely what he was doing, Harlan Drake, the man accused of murdering an anti-abortion activist -- except maybe he wasn't -- and a business owner, has been judged incompetent to stand trial. He will be remanded to a secure mental health facility for treatment.

He was assessed by the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Ann Arbor. Doctors there found several factors that we've blogged about pertinent to their recommendation:

His suicide attempt while in custody.

His depression and difficulties with medication.

His involvement in and witnessing of a highway crash that resulted in the deaths of two teenagers.

The trial has been postponed until he has been treated for a period of up to 15 months and deemed competent.

This is a terribly sad story, for all concerned, the friends and families of the victims and of the disturbed -- but treatable, we hope -- accused.

But I guess this puts the campaign to canonize the anti-abortion guy as a martyr on hold, at least.

Michigan Murders: Locals Respond to Congressional Honour

The local paper, Argus Press, reports on the resolution in the US Congress 'honouring' murdered abortion-activist, James Pouillon.

The report notes that the other victim, businessman Mike Fuoss, was not mentioned.

There are comments, some at least seemingly from locals. Most of them are not very positive about Mr Pouillon's contribution to the community.

It seems the canonization drive is somewhat stymied.

Here, BTW, is what Pouillon's daughter (or someone using her name) had to say:

Mary Jo Pouillon wrote on Sep 24, 2009 10:32 AM:
" It was more than just a random drive by shooting, and this is why my dad is being honored. I'm sorrty that another man was murdred also, but he was not murdered for his beliefs. My dad was a GOOD man and a wonderful father! I am sick of being forgoten in all of this. I miss him a lot! I read the paper, I read the comments people leave. I have been orphaned. How would you feel if you were in my shoes? I LOVE MY DAD! He stood up for the Gospel, he stood up for the innocent being led to slaughter, and he ALWAYS stood up for me! He never missed a visitation, never missed a child support payment (they came directly out of his pay before he got his check), he never missed a track meet. He helped raise his grandchildren for 2.5 years. He made more sacrafices in his life then should be expected from a person. Do not try to tell me he was anything but a good man, you never lived with him. You never had him fly to CA to watch you compete. You never had him give you a vehicle to go to college. You never had him pay your remaining tuition. You never watch him shop at Goodwill so you could buy brand new. You never had him scratch your back when you didn't even ask. Enough is enough. Let my dad rest in peace, and PLEASE let me live in peace! "

Live in peace, eh? Quite unlike your father's attitude, Mary Jo.

Michigan Murders: More Update

This story just keeps getting sadder.

The accused, Harlan Drake, now back in prison after a suicide attempt, was involved in a fatal highway accident, an event which may illuminate his current mental state.

In October 2004, Drake was driving north on U.S. 63 in Ottumwa when he crashed into a two-door Pontiac Firebird driven by a 16-year-old boy, according to a report by the Iowa State Patrol.

The teen driver was turning left off southbound U.S. 63 and didn't yield to Drake's semitruck, the report said. Two passengers in the Firebird, ages 15 and 16, were killed.

"I remember it. The kids pulled right in front of him," Ottumwa police Lt. Tom McAndrew said Friday. "It's a four-lane in the middle of Ottumwa and has heavy traffic. There have been some serious wrecks there."

Jerry Angle, now retired from the Iowa State Patrol, recalled going to the scene and finding Drake "really upset. He was broke up bad."

"They still stick flowers on the corner there," Angle said. "There was nothing awry on the trucker's part. It was bad judgment by a young driver."

So, maybe the exploitation of ugly, gory, fake abortion photos to high-schoolers by a fake anti-abortion harasser, you know, set someone who had witnessed actual death of actual high-schoolers off.

'Deplorable'

Ha. That takes one arrow out of the martrydom quiver that's building.

The White House on Sunday released a statement from the president on the shooting of James Pouillon. Obama says that "whichever side of a public debate you're on, violence is never the right answer."